Love, Me
by kyalpn
Summary: Cane struggles with his feelings for Lily, but it may be too late to do anything about them.  Set in the winter Cane and Lily first get together.
1. Chapter 1

**Love,****Me**

"Cane? Cane? Get up!"

Cane rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head. It was way too early to be awake. What could his mother possibly want at this time of morning? And her yelling wasn't helping the pounding in his head.

"Cane! Get up! It's Christmas morning!" Jill burst through his bedroom door and gave him a good shove. "Darling. Come on! It's Christmas morning!" she repeated.

"I heard you, Mum," Cane groaned from under the pillow sleepily. "Merry Christmas. Now, can I go back to sleep please?"

"No!" Jill whipped the pillow from his face and excitedly shook him again. "It's Christmas morning! My first Christmas with my firstborn son! We're opening presents right now! Just like a family's supposed to."

Cane's answer was a low groan, and Jill, not realizing the real problem, just laughed.

"Now I'm serious! Are you going to get up and come downstairs in ten minutes, or do I have to pull you out of this bed?"

"I'm up! I'm up!" Cane surrendered. "I'll be in the living room in ten minutes."

"All right! I'm counting!" Jill called over her shoulder.

The door shut without making a lot of noise, but it was still too much for Cane's head. He felt like crap. Seriously, if he could just split his head open or maybe cut it off and throw it out the window even, he was sure he would feel a lot better.

Ah. Who was he kidding? He was never going to feel better. Not unless he could get her out of his head. She was the reason he was hung over anyway.

Lily.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. His thoughts always tumbled over and under and on top of each other, ranging diversely in topic, but always ended in the same place.

Lily.

She was driving him crazy. So he had chosen the only way he knew how to silence her.

Booze.

It was only a temporary fix obviously. Even his headache reminded him of her. She'd caused it, after all.

Cane rolled further across the bed and squinted at the clock on his bedside table. The red numbers assaulted his vision and sent sharp bolts of pain through his temple.

_5:30.__**A.M. **_His mother was crazy.

Crazy enough to be pounding on his door again in five minutes if he didn't get his butt in gear.

He stretched, easing the kinks out of his muscles. He was unusually stiff this morning. Apparently passing out and sleeping like a rock for the rest of the night would do that to a person. It struck him, as it had the first time he saw it after moving in with his grandmother, that his bed was really quite large. Much too large for one person.

_Lily __should __be __sharing __it __with __me__…_

The shocking thought barely registered in his mind before he pushed it away. He didn't have any business thinking thoughts like that about innocent girls twelve years his junior.

Especially not girls he had sent away, saying they could never be more than friends.

"Cane?" Jill's voice sounded outside his door again, making his head pound harder.

"I'll be right down, Mum!" Cane answered as he forced his body out of bed.

In the bathroom, he splashed cold water on his face and brushed his teeth. Running quick fingers through his hair made him look somewhat presentable. He couldn't help the blood shot eyes, though. Maybe everyone would think it was because he was awake at such an unreasonable time of day.

Halfway out the door, he remembered to go back for his robe. His grandmother wasn't a prude, but he didn't think she wanted to see his bare chest around the Christmas tree. And it was too early to be scandalizing Esther he thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Good morning, Cane. I think your mother has disturbed the entire house with this nonsense."

"Morning, Grandmum." Cane met Katherine on the stairs, and circled his arm around her shoulders as they found their way to the living room together.

"Good morning, Mrs. C! Would you like some tea or coffee?"

Esther was way too chipper for the early hour, and it served to annoy Cane more than anything. But one look at his mother's beaming face and he decided to try to put all negative thoughts aside for her sake. She was so happy. He couldn't ruin that for her.

"Coffee, Esther. And as strong as possible, please."

Cane's thoughts were brought back to the matter at hand by Katherine's voice, and soon the gift opening was underway.

He received a lot of nice gifts. The newest palm pilot on the market from his mother. A huge box of his favorite cookies from Esther. Two front row seats with backstage passes to a concert he was dying to go to from his grandmother. And so many other things, he lost track after awhile. He felt bad that he wasn't really enjoying this as much as his mother was. He was beyond grateful to have a real family to share this Christmas with.

It just was that the gift he really wanted couldn't be wrapped and put under the tree. It was a gift he had given away and didn't know how to get it back.

Or even if he could.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 ~

"_Lily. __I __like __you. __I __really,__really __like __you. __But-"  
><em>_"__But __what?__"__  
><em>_"__But__…__I__'__m __thirty-one __and __you__'__re __only__nineteen-"  
><em>_"__So __you__'__re __saying __that __we __can__'__t __be __together? __Is __that __it?__"__  
><em>_"__Lily-"  
><em>_"__I __can__'__t __believe __you __led __me __on __like __that. __Last __night, __I __know __you __wanted __to __kiss __me.__"__  
><em>_"__Well__…"__  
><em>_"__You __know __I __was __vulnerable __after __Daniel __and __I __split. __You __even __know __what __we __split __up __over.__And __you __still __let __me __think __you __cared __about __me.__"__  
><em>_"__Lily! __I__do!__"__  
><em>_"__Do __you? __Do __you __really?__"__  
><em>_"__Lily__…__!__"_

No matter how many times he thought of it, the scenario never changed. Lily still grabbed her coat and was out of the door before he could stop her. She still treated him like she couldn't stand the sight of him whenever he saw her after that.

Which was everywhere. Everywhere he was, she walked in and then ignored him after a brief look that should've sent him to the ER several times over. Everywhere she was, he walked in and then she walked out. If he didn't know better, he would've thought someone was planning their meetings. Maybe someone was. And they were hiding somewhere, getting their laughs at his expense.

Laughing because he was the biggest fool in love the world had ever seen.

_In __love? __Where __did __that __come __from_, Cane wondered. He wasn't _in __love_with Lily. He cared about her very much _as __a__friend_. He valued her friendship beyond anything he'd ever realized before. If nothing else, the last week of living with her silence and disdain had taught him that.

He never meant to lead her on or hurt her. She was the sweetest girl he had ever known. But make no mistake. She was a _girl_. She was twelve years younger than he was. What was he supposed to do with that?

_**You **__**never **__**seem **__**to **__**mind **__**her **__**age **__**when **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**around. **__**You **__**light **__**up **__**like **__**that **__**freakin' **__**Christmas **__**tree **__**every **__**time **__**you **__**see **__**her**__**—**__**even **__**if **__**it**__**'**__**s**__** just **__**out**__** of **__**the **__**corner **__**of **__**your **__**eye **__**or **__**through **__**the **__**window, **_Cane's subconscious piped up then. He looked like a Mini-me Cane, and the two began to argue in his mind.

_No __I__don__'__t!_

_**Yes **__**you **__**do! **__**You **__**can**__**'**__**t **__**wait **__**to **__**see **__**her. **__**You **__**even **__**look **__**around **__**to **__**see **__**if **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**there **__**when **__**you **__**walk **__**in **__**a **__**room.**_

_Now __I __know __I __don__'__t __do __that!_

'_**Now **__**I **__**know **__**I **__**don**__**'**__**t **__**do **__**that**__**'—**__**please! **__**Everyone **__**around **__**you **__**feels **__**invisible **__**the **__**minute **__**you **__**see **__**Lily **__**walk **__**in **__**a **__**room.**_

_No. __I__'__m __not __like __that. __Am__I?_

_**Well, **__**lets **__**see. **__**You **__**haven**__**'**__**t **__**stopped **__**thinking **__**about **__**her **__**for **__**a **__**minute, **__**and **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**not **__**even **__**here.**_

_Well__…__so. __I __just __miss __her. __That__'__s __all._

_**Yeah. **__**You **__**miss **__**her **__**because **__**you **__**love **__**her.**_

_I __love __her __friendship. __I __love __having __her __as __a __friend._

_**That **__**ain**__**'**__**t **__**all **__**you **__**love.**_

_Enough. __I__'__m __not __in __love __with __Lily._

_**You **__**are **__**one **__**hardheaded **__**Aussie, **__**you **__**know **__**that?**_

"What do you think, honey?"

"Huh?" Cane shook his head in time to hear his mother ask him a question about something he hadn't been paying attention to.

"I was saying that I think it's wonderful we got a white Christmas this year. Don't you?" Jill asked.

"Um…well, it's definitely different. In Australia, it's summer now. So we always went to the beach to watch the fireworks on Christmas. But the snow is definitely beautiful," Cane answered with a smile.

"I almost wish you were young enough we could go sledding or have a snowball fight or something. Hey. Maybe we still can! Then you'd have some new traditions for Christmas…"

At the mention of playing in the snow, Cane had tuned out again. Images of playing in the snow with Lily were beginning to take over his mind…

"_AHHAHAHAH! __Missed __again! __Boy! __You __are __really __bad __at __this!__" __  
><em>_"__No! __I __was __the __Snowball __king __when __I __was __a __kid. We got a little snow in the mountains somtimes. __I__'__m __just __a __little __out __of __practice.__"__  
><em>_"__Oh, __yeah__…__out __of __practice. __OK,__Cane!__" __Lily __laughed __as __she __waved __her __hand.  
><em>_"__You __just __wait!__" __Cane __bent __down __to __form __another __snowball.__ "__I__'__m __gonna __get you, __and __you__'__re __going __to __be __sorry__—__hey!__" __Another __snow ball __hit __him __smack __in__ the __face , __and __Lily __doubled __over __with __laughter.  
><em>_"__Oh __yeah! __Another __point __for __Lily!__"__  
><em>_"__That__'__s __not __fair! __I __wasn__'__t __ready!__"__  
><em>_"__No t__my __fault.__"__  
><em>_"__Yoooouuuuu!__" __Suddenly __Cane __was __chasing __Lily __around __the __yard. __It __was __hard __to __run __in __the __deep __snow, __so __the __minute __Cane __caught __her, __they__both __went __over __fairly __easily.  
><em>_"__Gotcha!__" __  
><em>_"__Ahhha!__" __  
>Lily<em>_'__s __laugh __was __muffled __since__s she __was __face-__down __in __the __snow. __Cane __sat __up __on __his __knees __and__helped her __turn __over __to __her __back.  
><em>_"__Now, __that __will __teach __you __to __mess __with __the __Snowball __King!__" __Cane __joked.  
><em>_"__OK,__OK! __I __get __it! __I __surrender!__" __Lily __joked back.  
>Looking <em>_down __into __Lily__'__s __shining __eyes, __Cane__'__s __breath __caught __in __his __throat. __Her __hair __was __full __of __snow, __her __smile __was __brilliant, __and __her __laugh __sounded __like __music __in __his __ears. __With __her __cheeks __and __nose __flushed __pink __with __cold, __Cane __thought __she __was __the __most __adorable __thing __he __had __ever __seen.  
>The <em>_air __between __them __became __warm __and __intimate. __Without __really __meaning __to, __his __head __dropped __closer __to __her__'__s, __and __Lily__'__s __eyes __focused __on __his __lips. __All __he __had __to __do __was __move __his __head __just __a __fraction __of __an __inch, __and __they __would__…_

_**Crunch. **_Mini-me Cane was back, crunching on a candy cane. _**You **__**are **__**so **__**in **__**love **__**with **__**her.**_

_Shut __up!_

"What did you say, Cane?" Katherine joined Jill and Cane in the living room. A cup of coffee and her dessert from lunch in her hand.

"Uh…nothing, Grandmum. Did you say something?"

Katherine swallowed a mouth full of cake. "I was just remarking that I hope everyone is home for the day. The weather is getting nasty out there. In fact, they weather man is saying we could be in for the worst storm the city has seen in quite awhile."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ~

"Worst storm in a while? The weatherman hasn't been right yet this winter. We could still spend some time outside in our own yard, I'd think," Jill remarked.

Katherine tipped her coffee cup to her lips calmly. "You certainly could if you wanted, but I wouldn't advise it."

Jill glowered at her good-naturedly. "Why? Because I thought of it? You don't have to be such a wet blanket you know."

"My darling. Have you…seen what it looks like out there?"

"No. But it can't be that bad." Jill called over her shoulder as she walked toward the front door and opened it widely.

The wind howled through the doorway, bringing gusts of snow and ice particles with it, as well as nearly freezing temperatures to the living room.

"Ahhh!" Jill shrieked as she slammed the door closed and dashed back to the roaring fire in the fireplace. "Cane! I can't believe you're laughing!" She tried to look indignant as she watched her son's shoulders shake with his hand covering his face. He knew it was mean, but he couldn't help it.

Katherine just shook her head and continued drinking her coffee calmly. "Jill, Jill. Why must you always insist on learning everything the hard way?"

Jill rubbed her shoulders and shivered. "The driving out there has got to be terrible. And at this rate we very well could get snowed in. Do we need anything? Maybe we should go into town quick before it gets really bad."

Katherine looked unfazed. "Jill, we could stay in the house for weeks and be absolutely fine. I think the best thing is for us all to stay inside out of the cold and just wait it out…"

_Lily! She was supposed to go to that Homeless shelter today!"_

_**Lily? Nobody's talking about Lily. **_Mini-me Cane chuckled. He looked perfectly comfortable lounging against the wall of Cane's brain.

_I know that. But I thought of her out in this weather when Mum mentioned how bad the driving conditions must be._

_**See! You're not safe. They're just talking and something they said reminded you of her. You, my hardheaded friend, are in love.**_

_**No.** I'm not._

_**Yes…you are. And I think you should just admit it and get on with your life. Of course it's none of my business or anything…**_

_Then be quiet!_

_**All right, all right! Fine! You don't want my help. I get it…**_

"…_Folks. As you can see here on the graph that temperatures a plummeting very quickly, the wind speed is picking up and so is that wind chill. Also, keep in mind that last night, the temperatures were in the high 40's and what is now snow was previously rain. That has now turned to ice, making driving conditions extremely treacherous. In short, we advise that you stay inside tonight and wait out the storm. But if you do have to be out for whatever reason, be sure to keep any exposed skin covered and be extremely cautious while driving…"_

Katherine, Jill, and Esther seemed to be watching the weather report with rapt attention, but Cane's mind was wondering again.

_I wonder if Lily wore a warm enough coat?_

_**There you go again! What was that? A whole ten seconds without you thinking about her? And by the way, she's nineteen, not nine! I'm sure she knows enough to wear a warm coat in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. **_Mini-me Cane was curling up with a couple wool blankets, then a contented smile came across his face. _**Ahhh. Now I'm good.**_

_I thought I told you to be quiet._

_**Well, I was trying. But it's just so difficult when I'm dealing with hardheaded people.**_

Cane ignored the mini version of himself for the time being. _I wonder what time she was planning to go there?_

_**Call her and ask.**_

_Maybe she went early this morning and is already home._

_**Call her and ask.**_

_Maybe if she is alone and she realizes it's really bad she'll just stay at the shelter._

_**Call her and ask.**_

_What am I thinking? Neil and Devon probably went too._

_**Call her and ask.**_

_She probably doesn't want to hear from me though._

_**Call her! And ask!**_

_What am I supposed to do? I'm the one who told her we couldn't be together, she's been avoiding me every since, and pretty sure a phone call from me wouldn't go over well right now! What do you want from me?_

Mini-me Cane looked mockingly thoughtful for a just a second. _**I want you to call her and ask.**_

_Fine. I'll call her. Are you happy?_

_**I'd be happier if you'd just say you're in love with her but…**_

_Stop…talking!_

_**Heh, heh, heh. I knew that would get ya!**_

Cane dialed Lily's cell number by heart and waited for the ring.

"_Please enjoy this musical selection as you wait for your party to answer your call…"_

_**Come on, come on! Answer before he chickens out!**_

_I'm not going to chicken out!_

_**Not if she answers in the next thirty seconds.**_

_For the last time…shut up!_

"_What hurts the most, is being so close. And having so much to say, and watching you walk away!"_

Cane's interest was peaked as he listened to the chorus of the song.

"_And never knowing what should've been…"_

"_Hello?"_

"Lily! It's me."

"_I know."_

Her voice was cold and Cane's heart sank, but he forced himself to continue.

"Ah…well. The reason I'm calling is because I saw on the news that the storm is going to get really bad and the driving even worse, and I remembered you were going to the homeless shelter today. I wanted to make sure you're all right." Cane wished she would say something. She was so quiet as he talked he wondered if one of their cell companies had dropped the call.

"_I'm fine. I'm leaving for home right now. Thanks for calling."_

"Be careful! Especially if you're anywhere near the ridge. Lily? Lily?"

This time the line was dead.

And it was then that Cane realized how bad things really were. How much he had hurt her when he said their age difference was too great.

She had hung up without saying 'goodbye'.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 ~

_She __just __hung __up __on __me._

Lily _just __hung __up __on __me._

Cane stood at the window in the hallway and watched the snow fall. Up till now, he'd tricked himself into believing that things weren't as bad as they seemed. That Lily would get over it and see how right he had been to say that they could only be friends, and they would get back to how it was between them. Or at least get back to being friends.

_Were __we __really __ever __just __friends? __Only __friends? _Cane thought back. There had been an instant camaraderie between them. Both were going through divorces at the same time, both deceived repeatedly by the people they loved.

He had always felt a little bad for her. So young, so broken, so jaded already. She was like a delicate flower he always thought. But in getting to know her, he found that while the petals wilted and drooped, the heart of this flower was strong. Lily was determined to put her life back on track and not let Daniel or Amber (his own ex) keep her down for long.

Which was the reason she had a Happy Divorce party when hers was final. Everyone else that got a divorce—him included—was just happy to have it over, and she was ready to celebrate it.

That kiss was a little surprising, though. More because he kissed her. And enjoyed it. A lot. The moment had carried a lot more than the playfulness they tried to make it out to be. Cane had thought about it several times since then. The times he allowed himself to forget that their age difference was too big a mountain to overcome.

How could he not think about it? Surprisingly, they had a lot in common. They had the same taste in music, the same sense of humor. Every time they talked, he found her to be insightful and not at all flighty or superficial like other teenage girls. In fact, when she had told him she couldn't go to a club where a concert was being held because she was underage, hadn't he been surprised to find out how young she was?

To top it off, she was gorgeous. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. And she liked him. She obviously didn't think he was too old for her.

Pretty heady stuff.

But that didn't matter. The reality was that she was nineteen and he was thirty-one. She was a teenager still and had a lot of life to live. He couldn't take advantage of her like that.

For some reason, hurting Lily in any way was something he wasn't willing to risk. But to hurt her in the way Daniel had hurt her? To Cane that idea was detestable. Having her mad at him now was a small price to pay for having a friend for life in the long run.

That settled things. He and Lily could only ever be friends.

So, why did thinking about her out in the storm driving all alone make him queasy? Why did he have the sinking feeling that he made the biggest mistake of his life telling her that there could never be anything between them?

_I __was __right __to __tell __her __we __could __only __be __friends. __Right?_

_She __said __she is __fine. Sh__e__'__ll __be __careful. __She__'__s __lived __here __all __her __life. __She __knows __how __the __roads __can __get. __She__'__ll __be __fine. __Right? __Right? _Cane turned to his mini-me. I _said__ '__right__'__?_

Mini-me Cane didn't respond. He was too busy jamming to the music coming through the earphones from his I-pod.

_Hello! _Cane knocked on the little man's head and snatched the earphones out of his ears.

_**Hey!**_

_What __are __you __doing? __You__'__re __supposed __to __be __listening __to __me!__Why __aren__'__t __you __giving __me __any __advice?_

_**You **__**told **__**me **__**to **__**shut **__**up.**_ Mini-me Cane looked put out. _**And **__**since **__**I **__**wasn**__**'**__**t giving **__**you **__**advice, **__**I **__**didn**__**'**__**t **__**think **__**I **__**was **__**required **__**to **__**listen **__**to **__**you **__**ramble. **_He snatched his earphones back.

_Look. _Cane grabbed Mini-me Cane's wrist before he could put the earphones in again. _I__'__m __drowning __here. __I __can__'__t __stand __the __thought __of __Lily __out __there __by __herself __driving __in __this __weather._

_**And **__**you**__**'**__**re **__**beginning **__**to **__**wonder **__**if **__**you **__**didn**__**'**__**t **__**make **__**a **__**big **__**mistake **__**with **__**this **__**whole **__**friend **__**deal.**_

_How __did __you __know __that? __I __thought __you __weren__'__t __listening._

Mini-me Cane gave him a withering look. _**Dude. **__**I **__**live **__**in **__**your **__**brain. **__**I **__**know **__**everything **__**you **__**think. **__**I **__**thought **__**that **__**would **__**be **__**obvious.**_

_Whatever. __I __don__'__t __know __what __to __do. __I __mean, __she __said __she __was __fine. __And __she __knows __how __the __roads __can __be. __She__'__ll __get __home __just __fine,__right?__ Good. __So __why __do __I __feel __like __I__'__m __going __to __puke?_

_**OK.**_ Mini-me Cane put the I-pod and earphones in his pocket. _**I**__**'**__**m **__**going **__**to **__**say **__**this **__**really **__**carefully. **__**And **__**I**__**'**__**m **__**going **__**to **__**say **__**this **__**out **__**of **__**love **__**because **__**I **__**truly **__**care **__**about **__**you. **__**Now **__**listen **__**closely. **__**Cane,**__**you**__**…**__**are **__**so**__**…**__**HARDHEADED!**_

_That__'__s __your __advice?_

_**No. **__**This **__**is **__**my **__**advice. **__**The **__**same **__**advice **__**I**__**'**__**ve **__**been **__**giving **__**you **__**all **__**morning. **__**Admit **__**it. **__**You**__**'**__**re **__**in **__**love **__**with **__**her, **__**you **__**listening? **__**You**__**'**__**re **__**in **__**love **__**with **__**Lily. **__**That**__**'**__**s **__**why **__**you **__**feel **__**like **__**you**__**'**__**re **__**going **__**to **__**puke. **__**By **__**the **__**way, **__**give **__**me **__**enough **__**warning **__**before **__**you **__**do **__**that **__**so **__**I **__**can **__**pack **__**up **__**and **__**get **__**out **__**of **__**the **__**way.**_

_But __Lily __won__'__t __even __talk __to __me. __What __good __does __it __do __to __admit __I __love __her __when __she __can__'__t __even __stand __me?_

Mini-me Cane shook his head. _**Good **__**lord**_, he muttered under his breath. _**You **__**call **__**her, **__**you **__**know? **__**Kind **__**of **__**like **__**you **__**did **__**before?**__**Yeah **__**like **__**that. **__**And **__**then **__**you **__**tell **__**her **__**you **__**made **__**a **__**mistake, **__**you **__**want **__**to **__**be **__**more **__**than **__**friends, **__**and **__**my **__**guess **__**is **__**she**__**'**__**ll **__**come **__**around **__**fast **__**enough.**_

_What __if __she __doesn__'__t?_

_**What **__**if **__**she **__**does?**_

Mini-me Cane was right. What did he have to lose by trying compared to what he could lose by not trying? Before he could change his mind, Cane dialed Lily's cell with only one thought ringing true.

_Lily, __please __forgive __me. __Please __don__'__t __let __me __be __too __late._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 ~

"_Please __enjoy __this __musical __selection __while __you __wait __for __your __party __to __answer __your __call.__"_

Cain resisted the urge to crush the phone in his hands. He'd called Lily four times in the last hour and she hadn't answered once. And the song was driving him crazy:

_What __hurts __the __most__…__  
>Is <em>_being __so __close__…__  
>And <em>_having __so __much __to __say.  
>And <em>_watching __you __walk __away.  
>And <em>_never __knowing__…__  
>What <em>_could__'__ve __been.  
>And <em>_not __seeing __that __loving __you__…__  
>That<em>_'__s __what __I __was __trying __to __do._

OK! He got it! He was a fool to let Lily walk away! Did she have to hit him over the head with the fact?

"_Your __party __does __not __answer. __Press __one __to __leave __a __message, __or __please __try __your __call __again __later."_

"Lily. It's me. Again. Can you please call me? I'd really like to talk to you."

The same message he left the first three times.

_She__'__s __avoiding __me._

_**It**__**'**__**s **__**more **__**like **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**ignoring **__**you**__**…**__**really**__**…**_

Cane glowered at Mini-me Cane who was tucked into an easy chair, relaxed as a cat. _This __is __your __fault. __You__'__re __the __one __that __told __me __if __I __called __her __she__'__d __come __around._

_**No. **__**Actually **__**what **__**I **__**said **__**was **__**that **__**if **__**you **__**told **__**her **__**you **__**thought **__**you **__**made **__**a **__**mistake **__**about **__**this **__**friend **__**business, **__**she**__**'**__**d **__**probably **__**come **__**around. **__**You **__**just **__**keep **__**telling **__**her **__**it**__**'**__**s **__**you **__**and **__**that **__**you **__**want **__**to **__**talk. **__**Of **__**course **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**ignoring **__**you. **__**You**__**'**__**re **__**acting **__**like **__**a **__**stalker.**_

_Thanks. __For __nothin! __Why __didn__'__t __you __stop __me?_

_**Because **__**it **__**was **__**the **__**most **__**fun **__**I**__**'**__**ve **__**had **__**in **__**days! **__**Ha**__**ha**__**ha!**_

_Why __do __you __have __to __be __so __evil?_

"Cane are you talking to yourself?"

"No, Mum. What's up?" Cane draped his arm around Jill's shoulder in a hug as she came up behind him.

"Your grandmother and I decided that we're not really hungry so we're going to eat a late dinner. Is that OK with you?"

"Oh sure. I can just grab a snack if I get hungry." Cane was quick to assure her. "Besides, you got me up so early a nap kind of sounds good right now."

Jill laughed. "I did go a little overboard with the whole family Christmas thing, huh?"

Cane nodded teasingly. "Just a smidge, Mum. But that's OK. It's what holidays are about."

"Yes they are. Have a good nap." Jill kissed him on the cheek and left to do her own thing for the afternoon.

Cane looked at his watch.

_**It's **__**only **__**been **__**five **__**minutes, **__**she **__**hasn**__**'**__**t **__**called ,**__**give **__**it **__**a **__**rest.**_

_I__can__'__t! __Now __that __you__'__ve __got __it __in __my __head, __I __can__'__t __just __forget __it._

_**OK. **__**Fine. **__**I **__**don**__**'**__**t **__**want **__**you **__**to **__**forget. **__**I **__**just **__**want **__**you **__**to **__**take **__**a **__**break **__**before **__**you **__**drive **__**yourself **__**crazy. **__**I **__**know **__**it**__**'**__**s **__**a **__**waste **__**of **__**breath, **__**but **__**that**__**'**__**s **__**what **__**I **__**want.**_

_What __if __I __call __her __one __more __time __and __tell __her __the __stuff __you __said __and __then __wait?_

_**If **__**I **__**said**__** '**__**no**__**', **__**you**__**'**__**d **__**go **__**and **__**do **__**it **__**anyway**__**,so **__**just **__**do **__**it **__**already. **__**I **__**need **__**a **__**nap. **__**You**__**'**__**re **__**wearing **__**me **__**out.**_

"_Please __enjoy __this __musical __selection __while __you __wait __for __your __party __to __answer __your __call.__"_

_She__'__s __still __not __answering._

_**You **__**still **__**haven**__**'**__**t **__**given **__**her **__**a **__**reason **__**to.**_

_I__'__m __going __to __leave __a __message! __Give __me __a __break!_

_**I**__**'**__**m **__**just **__**sayin!**_

_Beep._

"Lily, it's me again. Look. I know I'm bugging you and I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now. And that's totally my fault, I understand that. But the truth is…I miss you, Lily. I think I made a mistake. And if you'll let me…I'd like to try to fix it. Could you please call me so we can talk? OK. I guess that's it. Bye."

_**Awwww! **__**I **__**think **__**I **__**actually **__**got **__**a **__**tear**__**…**__**right **__**here.**_ Mini-me Cane fake sniffed and clasped his hand over his heart then laughed like one would laugh at a best friend. _**You **__**are **__**such **__**a **__**sap!**_

_Do __you __think __it __will __work?_

_**If **__**it **__**doesn**__**'**__**t, **__**she**__**'**__**s **__**a **__**tougher **__**cookie **__**than **__**I **__**thought. **__**Hey, **__**I**__**'**__**m**__**tired. **__**Are **__**you **__**going **__**to **__**take **__**that **__**nap?**_

For the first time that day, both Cane's agreed. _Taking __a __nap __might __be __just __the __thing __to __take __my __mind __off __Lily. __If __I __don__'__t, __I__'__ll __drive __my __own__self __crazy._

But once in bed, Cane found that a peaceful Lily free nap wasn't in the cards.

He fell into a restless sleep, with dreams of disasters, tears, and heartbreaking pain.

_Featured __song: __"What __Hurts __the __Most"-Rascal__Flatts_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 ~

"_Lily, no! Don't do this! We can work this out. I was wrong. Just…please. Let's talk. Come back over here."  
>Lily stood facing him on the very edge of a cliff, poised to jump. Cane didn't dare move toward her, lest he push her off or they both tumble over together.<br>"Lily. Please. We can work this out. Please. Don't do this."  
>Lily looked at him sadly. Then she slowly raised her fingertips to her lips, kissed them lightly and then just as lightly blew the kiss from them to him and let herself fall backward over the edge…<br>"NOOOOOOOOO!" Cane lunged for her and felt himself fly over the edge as well, free falling in the most terrifying moments of his life.  
>"Lilyyyyyyyyyy!" The wind whipped the words from his throat as he continued to fall.<br>"Lilyyyyyyyyyy!"  
>Suddenly, Cane was no longer falling but chasing Lily across a busy subway platform. But not chasing her so much as running to stop what he knew was getting ready to happen. Running even though he knew he didn't have a prayer of stopping her. The Number Seven was barreling into the station.<br>"Lily! No! Lily!" He screamed. The crowd pressing on him from the other direction slowed his progress, but he fought on. "Lily!"  
>Miraculously, she heard him call her name over the roar of the incoming subway and looked at him. Looked him straight in the eye with eyes that haunted him. Left him with the feeling that what she was about to do was all his fault.<br>"Lily! No! Don't do it!"  
>Lily looked at him sadly. Then she kissed the air between them and stepped off the platform into the path of the train…<br>"NOOOOOOOO! Lilyyyyyyyyy!" Cane reached the spot she had been a moment too late. "Lilyyyyyyyy!" He dropped to his knees as the train sped past…  
>"Lily. Lily. Don't. I'm sorry. I can fix this. Please don't do this." Cane was on his knees in Lily's kitchen, pleading as she stood against the counter with a pair of kitchen scissors clasped in her hands. "Lily, give me the scissors. Give them to me." He held out his hand and waited for her to place them in his palm.<br>Instead, she raised them high above her head. She looked at him sadly. A small kissing sound escaped her lips.  
>"No!" Cane jumped and tried to get the scissors out of her hands, but he wasn't quick enough.<br>She plunged them into her…_

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Cane thrashed around the bed, breaking free of the gruesome scene, and his eyes flew open. He stopped just short of bolting upright as cold sweat poured off his body and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.

It was just a dream. Only a dream. But he couldn't calm down.

Sitting up quickly, he reached for his cell phone. No messages. No missed calls.

This time he didn't even stop to consult with Mini-me Cane who was standing quietly, more alert, for once no flip comment to offer before he dialed Lily's cell.

"_Your party does not answer. Press one to leave a message or please try your call again later."_

Cane hung up and immediately dialed again.

"_Your party does not answer. Press one to-"_

Once more he hung up and dialed again.

"_Your party does not—"_

_I'm calling Neil._

His mini-me still stayed quiet as he leaned against the wall of his brain with one ankle crossed over the other. A worried look crept into his eyes.

"_Hello?"_

"Devon. It's Cane. I'm looking for Lily. Is she home?" Cane knew he sounded short, but he didn't have time for pleasantries.

"_No. She went to the homeless shelter our mom used to volunteer at." _

"She was by herself? You and your father didn't go with her?"

"_No. That was Lily's thing. Something she wanted to do on her own. Why?" _Devon sounded irritated.

"Well, I called her when the storm got bad over two hours ago. She said she was leaving right then. I've tried calling her again on her cell, but she won't answer the phone."

"_Two hours ago?" _Now Devon sounded concerned.

"_Over _two hours ago." Cane looked at the clock. "It's closer to three now."

"_Well, maybe it got so bad driving she stopped at Colleen's and Adrian's and forgot to call or something. But I'll let my dad know. Thanks for calling."_

Devon hung up and Cane knew he was as worried as he himself was. Cane knew something else.

Lily wasn't at Colleen's and Adrian's or any place else. Something was wrong.

Again without consulting Mini-me Cane, he got out of bed and dressed warmly. Then he reached for his car keys. He wasn't going to wait around for Neil or Devon to let him know if Lily was all right. If they'd even contact him. They didn't really want him around Lily anyway.

No. He wouldn't wait around to hear. He was going to look for her himself. Because something was wrong.

Something was horribly wrong.

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe I let Lily drive in this. I should've insisted she stay at the shelter.<em>

The roads were much worse than anything Cane could've imagined. It had taken him over an hour to drive a distance that would've usually taken twenty minutes, thirty at most. Once he reached the homeless shelter, he ran in to confirm that Lily really had left the building over four hours ago by then. Now he was driving along the route he assumed Lily would've taken to get back home.

_I should've insisted she stay at the shelter,_ he berated himself again_._

_**It's not your fault man. She wouldn't have listened to you anyway.**_

_And whose fault is that?_

_**Look. I know I was ribbing you a lot earlier about it, but you were only doing what you thought was the right thing. Lily was mad at you, but I bet even she can't fault you for trying to do what you felt was right.**_

_I guess. _It was the argument Cane kept repeating to himself all week. But now it just sounded hollow._ I should've listened to you a long time ago and just admitted my feelings for her and swallowed my pride and…_

_**Whoa, whoa. Are you actually admitting you love Lily? **_Mini-me Cane smiled.

_Heh. Yeah. I guess I am. I love Lily Winters. Too bad it's too late. She probably would have been with me instead of out on the roads to spite me._

_**Well. Maybe something good will come out of all of this yet.**_

_Nothing will be good if I don't find Lily and know that she's all right!_

Minutes turned into an hour then and hour and a half, both Canes silent.

_What's that? _Pulling carefully to what he assumed was the side of the road, and remembering to leave his hazard lights on, Cane got out of his car and walked as fast as he could across the slippery ground.

His heart was beating double time as he approached a car that was turned over in the ditch. It was covered in the snow that was continuing to fall, so he couldn't tell the make of model of the car, but it was small. About the right size for Lily's. Lying on its top, Cane wasn't surprised to find that some glass was broken out, and that parts of the car looked to be dented and twisted beyond repair.

Leaning down, he looked into the car and found no one. _That's a relief. Maybe whoever this was got help already._

_**I…wouldn't be too sure about that… **_

Mini-me Cane spoke up at the same time Cane himself saw it.

A body lying in the snow a few feet away from the car.

Cane tramped over to the person, his heart dropping in dread at the truth of what he would find, even as he prayed that it wouldn't be so. That lasted only until turned the body over and saw her face.

_Nooooooo! _

It was Lily.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 ~

"No. No. No. No!" It took Cane a minute to realize the voice that was shouting was his. "No! Lily! Lily!"

_She can't be gone. Not when I've only just found her._

_**She's not. Not yet.**_ Mini-me Cane pointed out, and indeed Lily's chest rose and fell very shallowly.

_Oh, thank you God!_ Cane cradled her limp body in his arms. Her face was covered with blood on one side, and her ankle was bent at an odd angle. But she was breathing, and she had a pulse. She was alive.

_**Not for long if you don't hurry up and do something. **_

Some of Cane's relief began to seep away as he assessed the situation critically. Her breathing was very shallow and becoming more labored. Her pulse, though present, was thready and weak. She was dressed warmly, but the exposed areas of her face were quickly turning blue, no doubt aided by the fact she had been lying face down in the snow for who knew how long.

He didn't know where the strength and presence of mind came from, but Cane suddenly went on autopilot. The first rule when coming in contact with an unconscious patient with a head injury was not to move them. Everyone knew that. And that ankle really needed to be set before she was moved as well. But staying out in the middle of nowhere with the snow still falling and no idea how long it would take for help to arrive was out of the question.

As gently and quickly as possible, he gathered her into his arms and rushed—rushing as it was in the ice and snow—to his car, thankful that it was already warm. He somehow managed to get the back passenger door open and then laid her on the back seat, that way her ankle would stay elevated. He remembered that there were some blankets in his trunk, courtesy of his mother who assured him that you never drove in Wisconsin winters without being prepared for this kind of thing.

Soon he had Lily bundled up as best he could and began talking soothing to her as he buckled the middle belt awkwardly around her waist. "It's going to be OK, you hear me? I'm going to get you to the hospital, and you're going to be just fine. So hang in there."

Back in the driver's seat he made a quick call to the Winters's house, and as he expected there wasn't anyone home. He left a message to meet him at the hospital then finally started on the treacherous journey.

"Hang in there, darling." He said to Lily, even though he wasn't sure she could hear him. "You're going to be fine. When we get to the hospital, your dad and Karen and Devon will be waiting for you, OK? Everything is going to be fine."

_**Tell her you love her.**_

_What?_

_**Tell her you lover her.**_

_Are you out of your mind? _

_**No. But sometimes standing in here I have to wonder. **_

_I don't have time for this._

_**Tell her.**_

_She can't hear me._

_**Then why do you keep talking to her?**_

Cane didn't answer and Mini-me Cane shook his head and spoke somewhat gently.

_**Look. The truth is you don't know what she can or can't hear. You don't know what is the one thing that gives that person strength in times like these. Either way, it can't hurt her to know how many people here love and are pulling for her. And that includes you.**_

_She didn't even want to talk to me before. Why would she want to hear me tell her I love her now?_

_**Because she doesn't fully realize it yet, but she wanted you to say it last week.**_

Cane again sat silent, and Mini-me Cane didn't comment. Apparently he felt he said enough.

The ride to Genoa City Memorial hospital took nearly an hour and a half, and throughout it, Lily never regained consciousness. And Cane didn't stop reassuring her that help was not too far away and that her family was waiting for her.

But he couldn't take Mini-me Cane's advice. He wanted to. His heart nearly burst from wanting to say it. But for some reason whenever he tried, the words got stuck in his throat. Three little words. That's all he had to say.

Yet they simply refused to pass over his lips.

Finally, he pulled into the hospital parking lot and up to the emergency room entrance.

"We're here, Lily. We're at the hospital. You're going to be OK." Cane worked to loosen the seat belt, and nurses, techs, and various other ER staff rushed out to his car with a stretcher. Neil had been standing at the door and obviously gone to alert them that his daughter had arrived.

_**Tell her! Now's your change before they take her away!**_

"Lily…" Again a battle ensued inside him over the three little words he longed to but couldn't say. To his eyes, she looked to be fairing worse than before. Despite all his encouragement to the contrary, he wasn't at all sure that if he didn't tell her now he'd get another chance.

_**Tell her!**_

"Lily…"

"Sir? Sir. We need you to get out of the car so we can get her out." The ER doctor said.

_**Tell her!**_

The sudden aching in his throat threatened to choke him to death, and the words wouldn't go past.

Though the words wouldn't come, he couldn't contain the urge to fulfill the one wish he didn't indulge a week prior. One that if he had, maybe some of this could've been prevented.

"Sir? Please could you step out of the car?" The medical personnel were freezing and impatient to get their patient inside. Lily needed help as soon as possible. But they all could wait.

"Lily," he whispered one more time and then kissed her lingeringly on the lips. He hoped somehow Lily would know what he couldn't say.

As Lily was rushed into the emergency room, her family gathering around her, he took a minute outside in the cold to get control of his emotions. He couldn't go in there the wreck. He had to be calm if he was going to face Neil Winters.

And he would face him. Neil was sure to have a problem with Cain being there all the time, and Cain wasn't going to be leaving. A confrontation was bound to happen, and he needed to be in control for that.

But also, he needed to pray. Pray that he didn't lose Lily Winters before she knew how much he loved her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 ~

Cane walked into the emergency room waiting area after parking his car and found Neil, Karen, and Devon huddled together in a grouping of chairs. He took a deep breath and walked over.

"Any word?" he asked when he reached them.

Lily's father shook his head. "Not yet. The doctor's still with her."

Cane nodded, and an awkward silence ensued. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. They hadn't invited him to sit down, and though he wasn't being rude Neil wasn't being particularly inviting either.

_**You're a grown man! If you want to sit down, sit down!**_

_I don't want to cause a big scene right now. There will be enough of them later I'm guessing._

_**All the more reason for you to sit your butt down. If there's going to be a problem, let's go!**_

Cane sat down and the silence continued for several more minutes before Neil cleared his throat.

"Cane, thanks for letting us know about Lily. And for going out to look for her. We—we got the message as soon as we got in from looking for her."

"It was nothing. I just got worried, that's all," Cane said.

"Well, I'm glad you let us know. Thanks."

"Yeah. Thanks, man," Devon answered. Karen smiled.

_OK. Maybe this won't be as bad as I think. _

_**We can sure hope.**_

"Mr. Winters?"

The little group jumped as a young man in light blue scrubs and a white lab jacket walked up to them. Neil quickly stood to shake the man's hand, and Karen, Devon, and Cane followed suit.

"Yes, I'm Mr. Winters. This is Lily's brother Devon, our friend Karen and Lily's friend Cane."

Cane worked at not looking surprised at the introduction. Mini-me Cane was obviously surprised as well. He stood speechless for once in his life.

"I'm Doctor Norris. I'm the ER doctor on staff tonight." The doctor shook Neil's hand and nodded to everyone else.

"So, how's my daughter?" Neil asked.

"Well, I think Lily is a very lucky girl. For the most part, her injuries are serious, but when properly treated not life threatening." Dr. Norris paused as a sigh of relief spread through the small group. "She has a broken ankle, which I'm sure you noticed right away. Fixing that is pretty straightforward though will require some surgery to fix it properly. We've reduced it for now—splinted to keep the fracture stable—and have an orthopedic surgeon ready to perform surgery probably tomorrow morning."

"OK," Neil agreed. "What else?"

"On x-ray, we noticed that Lily has a pneumothorax, a small tear actually, in her right lung, as well as a few cracked ribs. Both probably sustained during the deployment of the air bag. Now, that is a serious problem, but easily treated usually," the doctor reassured them.

"Usually?" Karen clarified.

Dr. Norris nodded. "Yes. Sometimes they close on their own, but most often we put in a chest tube until the hole starts to close. In the worst case, we do surgery to remove that part of the lung."

_**Don't do it! Shut up! Things are going pretty good right now. Keep your yap shut, and they might stay that way!**_

"Which do you think Lily will need?"

_**GAHHHH! **_Mini-me Cane threw his hands in the air in exasperation and with good reason. The look on Neil's face said it all, especially when Dr. Norris addressed himself to Cane.

"Well, I spoke with the hospitalist on duty tonight, and while we are calling in a surgeon to consult on Ms. Winter's case, we both agree that a chest tube will probably be needed. For now, she's also wearing oxygen to keep her saturation at the appropriate level. She seems to be holding well, but it's obviously imperative that we get the pneumothorax closed."

"Yes. We understan," Neil answered quickly. It was obvious that he was making sure the doctor knew just who was in charge. "What about her head? I heard you say something about a head injury earlier?"

"Actually, that turned out to be better than we thought. All the blood was from a surface gash that was easily stitched up, and her head CT looked good as well. No really obvious injury. Most likely a moderate concussion. We'll be keeping an eye on her, and don't be alarmed if she complains about some nausea and of course headache, blurred vision, that sort of thing. But other than a headache, she didn't report any of those symptoms at the time we talked to her during our examination."

"So she regained consciousness?"

Mini-me Cane shook his head with his eyes closed after his owner asked his question. _**Well, I guess if you're going to cause trouble, you might as well cause a heap of it.**_

Cane looked at Neil out of the corner of his eye, and indeed he was going to be in a heap of trouble. Well, that was just too bad. Lily was too important.

Dr. Norris smiled. "Yes, she did. And we were especially happy to see that she was not disoriented in anyway. We were a little worried about that since she not only had a head injury, but she was apparently without oxygen for an unknown period of time, causing hypoxia.  
>"The only other thing we'll be worried about is frostbite, especially on her face. But like I said, Lily is a very lucky lady. Maybe that won't be as big a problem as we anticipate. I think you probably got to her just in time, sir." He clapped Cane on the shoulder.<p>

"So is their anything else we need to know or do?" Again, Neil was reminding the doctor he was the one calling the shots and sending Cane a look that he would be talking to him later.

"Other than signing the consents for the surgical procedures—the chest tube for sure-I think we're set," Dr. Norris said.

"When can we see her?" Cane asked.

_**That's right. Just keep digging that hole.**_

_Shut up!_

"I'm sorry?" Dr. Norris looked at Cane.

"Nothing. I was just wondering when we could see Lily?" Cane repeated.

"Well, you can go in now if you want. But she's sleeping. We were hesitant to sedate her too much. We need to consider her concussion and her compromised respiratory status, and sedation and even some pain medication can mask symptoms that we need to know about and be evaluating right now. But she was in quite a bit of pain, so we opted to get her some Morphine on board. We'll keep tabs on that as well and do our very best to keep her as comfortable as we can."

"Thank you, doctor. Karen and Devon, why don't you two go ahead? I'd like to speak with Cane a minute."

_**I can't believe how fast this happened. I thought we'd at least have till tomorrow.**_

_Well, like you said. If we're going to tangle, we might as well get it over with._

_**Good luck with that! **_Mini-me Cane was backpeddling as fast as he could.

_Wait. Where are you going?_

_**Standing back! A little man like me could get hurt!**_

_What? No! Don't you have some words of wisdom? Sage advice? Sarcastic comment?_

Mini-me Cane cocked his head to one side, then the other. He bit the inside of his lip in thought. _**Nope. You're on your own with this one.**_

_Huh?_

_**Go get 'em Tiger! You're gonna be fine! **_Mini-me Cane flashed a cheesy grin, gave Cane two thumbs up, and then promptly disappeared. Not a moment too soon for him.

"So, Cane. Let's have a little chat, shall we?"

_Coward!_

"Sure." Cane and Neil stepped back into the waiting area and to the back where a little coffee stand was.

"I just want to make sure we're on the same page here. I'm fine with you seeing Lily, and I'm very thankful that you found her and brought got her here safely and in time. I'll be forever grateful for that.  
>"I know that you and Lily are friends, and that's fine too. I don't have a problem with that. But that's all I don't have a problem with. If you have more than friendship in mind with my daughter, we're going to have a problem."<p>

"Then we have a problem."

"I'm sorry?" It was obvious Neil hadn't expected Cane's direct response. Cane wasn't quite sure where it had come from either, but since it was the truth, Neil might as well know it.

"I'm agreeing with you. If my being more than a friend to Lily bothers you, then we have a problem."

Neil sighed tolerantly and took a deep breath. "Cane, you're twelve years older than my daughter. I thought even you agreed that should speak for itself."

"Lily might be only nineteen, but she's older than that by life experience," Cane pointed out.

"Which is precisely why she doesn't need to be romantically involved with you right now!" Neil countered. "Lily needs this time to be young and free with no problems and definitely no older boyfriend to tie her down."

"Says who?" Cane asked. "You? I know you're her father, but Lily is a grown woman with her own mind. Don't you think she should make it up for herself?"

Neil looked as if it was taking all of his patience to keep from making a full-blown scene. "You hit the nail on the head, Cane. I _am _Lily's father, I'm very protective of her, and you already hurt her once. Though I had to agree with you at the time."

Cane looked repentant at the reminder of how his actions of late had impacted Lily. "Yes. I did hurt her. And I'm more sorry for that than I can tell you. But hopefully once I talk to her I can make her understand, and we can fix things."

"So that you'll end up more than friends?"

"If she'll have me, yes," Cane answered.

"Then I can't let you see Lily."

"What?" Cane exclaimed. "But you just said-"

"I know what I just said. But if you are going to blatantly disregard my wishes, I can't allow you to see my daughter. That's all there is to it."

"Neil! You can't do that!"

"I can do whatever I want. And I don't want you seeing Lily." Apparently Neil wasn't worried about making a scene anymore. Their argument was catching the attention of several people in the area as his voice got louder.

Neil walked away from Cane, but not before Cane asked another question.

"How are you going to explain that you kept me from seeing her?"

Neil turned around. "You know, she's so angry with you right now, she probably won't even care."

_**Man, you going to sit back and take that? That was below the belt! **_Mini-me Cane was fighting mad as he stepped out of whatever shadow he'd been hiding in to watch Neil walk away.

_Now you show up? Again, thanks for nothing. _Cane reached for his coat and car keys.

_**Where are you going?**_

_Neil made a big enough scene. Enough people heard him say I can't see Lily. Where do you want me to go?_

_**Oh no. Nuh uh. You're a hardheaded Aussie, remember? Sit you're a** down in that chair! You're not going anywhere!"**_

_Shut…up! I can't deal with this right now._

_**No. **__**You**__** shut up! You are going to sit in that chair and wait for Neil to come back. And you're going to fight for her.**_

_But—_

_**But…**__**do you love her?**_

_Yes!_

_**Then that's all you need to know. You think you screwed up before? Don't do it again.**_

Memories of Lily face down in the snow flooded his mind. The panic he had felt at the time, the dread he felt when they were taking her away, the relief he felt when Dr. Norris said she would be fine. The way his world felt like the sun had died the day she walked out of it. It all came flooding back, and he knew Mini-me Cane was right.

He _was_ going to stay. He _was _going to fight for her. He _would _see her.

Whether Neil liked it or not.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 ~

_I need some more coffee._

_**No you don't! **_Mini-me Cane was running laps around his owner's brain.

_Well, what else am I supposed to do?_

_**I don't know. Just don't drink anymore caffeine. **_The little man switched to jumping jacks and toe touches.

_I think I'm going to go crazy._

_**I think I'm already there. **_Now he was doing sit-ups.

_Ring Ring. _Cane looked at his cell phone. _It's Mum._

_**Thank goodness. Get your mind on something else!**_

"Hi, Mum."

"_Cane, where are you? I know you're grown, but could you please not leave the house in the middle of a huge snow storm and not tell anyone?"_

Cane made a quick hissing sound as he realized that was exactly what he had done. "Sorry, Mum. I'm at the hospital. I was trying to get a hold of Lily and got worried when I couldn't reach her. So I went out looking for her."

"_Why would you go looking for Lily Winters? Is she the one in the hospital? Is she OK?" _

"Well, I had talked to her earlier when the storm was getting bad, and she said she was going home. But it was almost three hours later, and she still wasn't home. And yes, she has some serious injuries, but she's going to be OK. Thank God."

Jill was quite for a few seconds. "_Cane, is there something I need to know about you and Lily?"_

"Like what?" Cane asked, stalling.

"_Cane, I've seen the way you look at her, the way you react when she's around. And the fact that you went out in the worst snowstorm we've had in a long time instead of just letting her father and brother handle it…are you and Lily more than friends?"_

"No." Cane was resigned.

"_That tone of voice tells me you're disappointed about that," _Jill said.

"But it's my fault. I was the one who told her we could only be friends."

"_Why? Is it because of Amber?"_

Cane dismissed that thought with a short laugh. "Amber? Please, Mum. Amber has nothing to do with this."

"_OK." _Jill was quiet again, and Cane wondered if she was trying to say something.

"What, Mum?"

"_Lily's a nice girl. And I realize she's lived a lot, but she's still a girl compared to you. Just…both of you be careful. I don't want to see either of you hurt."_

"It's a little late for that," Cane said ruefully. "Mum, I thought I was going to die when I found her. She was unconscious and there was so much blood. And she was angry with me for leading her on, and we haven't talked for over a week. I would never forgive myself if the last time we talked to each other it was over a fight."

"_So I take it you haven't talked to her yet? Is she still unconscious?" _Jill's voice was full of concern for the young lady.

"No. She's sedated, but she did regain consciousness. I want to talk to her, but Neil won't allow it. I don't know. Maybe I should let things die down before I talk to her."

Mini-me Cane slapped the wall of Cane's brain at that as he continued to run laps.

"_Honey, I don't think Lily is that kind of girl. I mean, look at what she sacrificed for Daniel when he was in trouble. She went on the run with him from the law. She gave up a lot because she believed in their love. If she really does care about you, I don't think that's going to change over one fight."_

"I hope you're right." Cane said.

"_And as for waiting till things die down, I'd never tell you what to do…"_

"You wouldn't?" Cane asked with good-natured sarcasm.

"_But,"_ Jill continued with a laugh. "_I don't think you should wait. If you feel that seriously about her and about how you left things, you should remedy it right away. If nothing else, the accident should point out that we never know the next time we'll see someone. Don't carry that regret around for the rest of your life. Don't worry about Neil. Because again, if I know Lily, she won't be."_

Cane smiled in spite of himself. "Thanks, Mum. I'll be home soon."

_**Wait for things…to die down? What…is wrong with you? **_Mini-me Cane stopped running and bent over to catch his breath.

_OK. OK. I'm not going to wait for things to die down. I will talk to Lily whether Neil likes it or not. I just have to figure out a way to convince him._

As Cane finished his thought, he thought he heard Neil's voice.

"_How long will it take to put the tube in?"_

Cane strained to hear, but couldn't hear what the doctor said.

"_And you can do it at the bedside?"_

Cane got up and walked over to the wall that separated the waiting area from the rest of the ER. He still couldn't hear what the doctor was saying clearly, and he was so busy concentrating that he nearly jumped out of his skin when Karen walked around the corner.

Karen looked into Cane's eyes and must've seen the feelings he couldn't hide. She nodded almost imperceptibly, then disappeared.

"_So. The doctor says it should only take a few minutes, and then we can go back in with her."_

Neil again.

Karen answered him. "_Why don't the three of us go get something to eat in the cafeteria. We haven't eaten yet, and the two of you won't be any good to Lily if you don't take care of yourselves."_

"_I don't want to go to far. The doctor will be done soon and she could wake up anytime," _Neil said.

"_I now. But we won't be too long. The nurses are going to take good care of her, and you can tell them that if Lily does wake up to have us paged right away, and let her know that we're here," _Karen assured.

"_Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm kind of hungry,"_ Devon spoke up. "_I think I will go and get something to eat."_

"_Well…" _Neil was considering Karen's suggestion. "_Maybe you're both right. Let's go. But just long enough to eat and come back."_

"Maybe a little longer than that," Karen said. As she led Lily's father and brother away, she looked quickly over her shoulder to Cane, her message clear: _Make the most of this!_

"Thank you," Cane mouthed. He stepped from behind the wall and looked at the door of Lily's room. The doctor hadn't come back out yet.

_I guess I should wait. He is in the middle of a procedure._

_**I wouldn't. Knock on the door. If they tell you to go away, you can. But maybe they'll let you in. And who knows how long Karen can actually keep Neil in the cafeteria. You don't want to waste anymore **__**time.**_

_Why do I have the feeling that you're going to get me in trouble?_

_**Oh, be quiet! You know you want to.**_

Before Cane could change his mind, he knocked on the door and poked his head around it.

A nurse looked at him kindly. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…yeah. I'm a friend of Lily's and just wondered if I could come in?"

The nurse smiled. "Sure. Just stand back until the doctor is done. We don't want you to contaminate the sterile field."

"Of course." Cane stepped to the back of the room and watched as the chest tube was placed. Lily groaned lightly, though she didn't really wake up, and Cane nearly lost his lunch with watching. It looked so painful. Thankfully it was over in a few minutes.

"All right. You can go over to the bed now if you want," the nurse said.

"Thank you." Cane walked over to Lily's bedside, lightly ran his hand over her hair and felt relief flood his body. He took her hand and softly raised it to his lips.

She was alive. Battered and bruised with some recovering still to do. And not just in her body. Her heart and soul were bruised as well. But she was alive. Cane knew he had been given a second chance where Lily was concerned.

And he had no intention of messing it up this time.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 ~

_Lily…_

Lily, Lily…

My sweet Lily…

Cane couldn't believe just how much he cared now that he actually gave himself permission. It surprised him how he finally felt like he could breathe. He didn't know that he felt like he was suffocating until he felt the pressure lift from his heart when he saw for himself that she was really going to be okay.

A fierce need to protect and take care of her filled his body. Which was new. He hadn't grown up needing to think of anyone but himself. Finding his family was drawing out his caring side, and he certainly would fight for his mother and grandmother. But with Lily, it was different. There was a sense of…ownership. No. That was the wrong word. A sense…a sense of belonging. Yes, that was right. Belonging. That Lily belonged with him and he with her.

He continued to stroke Lily's hair with one hand as he covered one of hers where it rested on her chest with the other and studied every feature of her peaceful face. Silky smooth skin, perfectly shaped eyebrows. The wonderfully long lashes that lay fanned across the tender skin under her eyes; eyes that he knew were deep pools of rich chocolate. Pools the depths of which Cane wished he had the liberty to know.

The hand stroking her hair drifted down along the soft skin of her cheeks, then lightly stroked along the straight bridge of her nose with his index finger, finally tracing and retracing the outline of her full lips. Lips he was dying to but wasn't sure that he had the right to kiss. He settled for kissing the corner of her mouth, letting his lips linger there for long moments.

Then he let his forehead drop to her shoulder. He tried to inhale her familiar scent—a musky scent of jasmine—and could only smell it faintly in her hair. But even that was of some comfort.

_**Ahem…**_

_**Ah-hem…**_

_**AHHH-Hemm…**_

_Go…away!_

_**I'd like nothing better. This is getting a little too Lifetime Movie of the Week for me. **_Mini-me Cane looked a little green.

_You're the one that pushed me to this. You're the one that told me I should just admit my feelings._

_**Yes. Yes I did. But one: that doesn't mean I have to watch and two: you better hop to it because we have no idea how much longer you have before it all hits the fan when Neil gets back.**_

_Good point._

Mini-me Cane nodded with a smirk. _**Ain't it though? Now start talking. **_He stepped back into the shadows.

"Lily." Cane didn't lift his head. Just whispered against her shoulder. "Lily…this just…seems wrong considering what you're going through right now, but I have to be honest. This has been the worst week of my life." He lifted his head to look at her face. It made him feel like they were actually having a conversation. Like she could really listen to what he was saying.

"I've missed you so much. I know it's my fault. I'm the one that said we could only be friends. I'm the one that let you walk away angry, and you had every reason to be. You were right. If I was never going to act on the feelings we were developing for each other, I did lead you on. I never meant to. I guess I just got scared."

Cane grew quiet gathering his thoughts, thoughts he'd been thinking all along as well as some he was thinking for the first time. "I'm not sure if it was about age at all. I mean…it was. Twelve years is a lot and I was a little afraid of what people would think. And I didn't want to take advantage of you. You've been through so much already, and I really did think you should experience everything life has to offer you. I still do. The world is so full of possibilities for you. And I never want to stand in the way of that.

"But now, having had to live without you for a week, I realize what the real deal has been. I haven't had the best luck with women. Actually, before I came to the US and GC, I wasn't looking for anything serious or lasting. I'm ashamed to say that I was something of a rogue; I've been with a few women. And then there was Amber. And she took me along for a journey in the lifestyle I was accustomed to. Fast…free…no strings…fly by the seat of my pants. But you know how that ended, and I was really hurt. Which really surprised me because I'd never put much into a relationship before and didn't think that was anything I wanted.

"Then I met you, and you're the opposite of everything I've ever had or thought I wanted. And definitely the opposite of Amber. I knew that I was going to fall hard if I wasn't careful, and if Amber could break my heart, you could kill me. So I pushed you away." Cane chuckled. "Except it didn't matter, because not being able to be around you or talk to you killed me anyway."

He reached up to brush a few strands of Lily's hair from her shoulder and let his thumb trace along her ear in time with the circles he was drawing on her hand. "When I found you on the side of the road today I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I think my heart literally stopped in my chest. I was so scared. And I was blaming myself because if I hadn't let you walk out that door the other day, maybe we would've been together for the holiday instead of you being out on the road all alone. If you had died…" Cane couldn't finish that thought. The idea hurt him too much.

"Well, the important thing is that you're still here, and I get a chance to do this over. I hope. Lily, I'm sorry. I was wrong to send you away. I don't want us to only be friends. I want us to be like we were: friends that were wondering if maybe they could be something more.

"Lily, I miss how you make me smile when you walk in a room. I miss our conversations, having someone that has the same tastes in music and laughs at the same jokes. I miss how you make me feel like everything is right with the world. When I'm with you—even if it's just for a couple minutes—nothing else matters. Not age, not your father, my mother, my past…nothing. It all just melts away."

_**OK, she gets it. Wrap it up!**_

"I called you so many times today, I think I have that song that plays memorized. It seems appropriate for us, huh? But that's probably why you picked it. I really did let you walk away without knowing what might have been, and without seeing that I just wanted to love you."

Cane bit his lip and stated at the place where his knuckles rested against her cheek. "I think I'm ready to see what we have. Maybe it will work out or maybe it won't. But I think that there's a good chance that I'll end up loving you, and I hope that along the way you'll find that you love me."

_**Great Job! Let's roll! **_Mini-me Cane turned to walk through the door, but just ran into a wall since his owner wasn't moving yet.

_**Roll out! **_Again he didn't get very far, maybe a step before he realized Cane still hadn't turned away from the bed.

"Your father doesn't want me to see you unless we're only going to be friends. I already told him that's going to be a problem for me, which became a problem for him. I don't want you to have to deal with that right now, so I'm going to just go before he sees me. But I'll be back. I promise."

_**Rolling this way, Big Guy! **_Mini-me Cane made a wide circle with his arms to indicate the direction he wanted to go.

"Bye, Lily." Cane kissed her softly on the forehead then left the room.

Hearing the click of the door closing behind him, Lily opened her eyes and felt them fill with tears.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 ~

Lily stood at the small bathroom sink, leaned on the walker she was given that morning and tried to breathe like the nurse's aide was instructing. She pushed the little button that gave her some morphine when she needed it and waited for the medicine to kick in.

The chest tube was pretty painful, making breathing hard because she couldn't take as deep a breath as she normally would. The nurses told her that's why she was still on oxygen, which was being delivered through tiny plastic tubing into her nose.

Moving around was painful as well, she was quickly finding out. When it was suggested that she get cleaned up for the day, Lily agreed quickly. She was desperate to feel clean and curious to see what she looked like. If how she felt was any indication, she figured she must look horrible.

Which was an understatement. A deep, angry looking gash across her forehead was stitched up with…well, a lot more stitches than she felt like counting. The aide said the nurse would put a dressing over it when they were done. Great. A big white bandage on her head to match with the purple and red bruises that ringed her eyes and spread down onto her cheeks. The nurse had assured her that the bruises most likely looked worse this morning than the night before.

Lily wasn't sure if she should be happy about that or not.

"Are you ready?"

Lily nodded at the aide's question, and they started slowly back to the bed. The cast on her leg made her feel unbalanced, even with the walker, but she tried to concentrate on staying upright. Apparently, the orthopedic surgeon had been in a good mood the previous night and came in late to do the surgery instead of waiting until the morning like everyone originally thought.

"You're doing good, Lily. Just a few more steps."

_I'm not sure I'm going to make it. _Lily was starting to flag. It would seem as if she wasn't as strong as she initially felt and maybe should've taken the staff's advice at taking it easy and only sitting at the side of the bed for her morning toilet.

"OK…good…have a seat."

Lily resisted the urge to just fall onto the bed. She was that tired. But she knew that doing so would cause a lot more pain than she was already in. She closed her eyes as the aide (was her name Jacey?) combed her hair and wished for her own hairbrush.

"I know this isn't as nice as what you use at home, but it gets the job done for now." Jacey said cheerfully. "I remember when my best friend was in the hospital having her baby, she was so unorganized she didn't have her bag packed or anything. Her boyfriend called me and said that she was panicked and was begging me to go get her some stuff." Jacey laughed. "I'm sure your family will bring you some of your own things today. Then you won't have to use this ratty old comb."

Lily was too tired to answer and was very glad when Jacey had her tucked back into bed. A soft knock was heard at the door, then a little elderly lady (obviously a volunteer) walked in with a large bouquet of lilies.

"Delivery for Miss Lily Winters?" The volunteer looked from the bouquet to the patient in the bed and a twinkle crept into her eyes. "I wonder why they picked these?" she teased.

"I'm sure I have no idea," Lily remarked tiredly even though she smiled. "Thank you."

The volunteer put the vase on the bedside table and left the room as Jacey reached for the card that was attached.

"Should we see who it's from?" she asked as she handed the card to Lily.

"I have a pretty good idea," Lily said. Opening the card, she smiled as she read to herself:

_I know it's a little corny, but I saw them and of course thought of you. Feel better.  
>Love, Me<em>

Lily smiled and bit her lip shyly, and Jacey whistled lightly.

"All right, all right. Spill. From your boyfriend?" When Lily didn't say anything, Jacey smiled even bigger. "I knew it! That's so sweet! And he must have some money. This bouquet had to cost a fortune!" She lowered her voice and leaned toward Lily conspiratorially. "Is he hot?"

Lily raised her eyebrows suggestively and Jacey raised her hand in a high five.

"Rich _and_ hot? Girl, I say marry him!"

Lily laughed lightly. "He's great. But he's not my boyfriend. I mean…we're not…like…official or anything."

"He spends this kind of money on you and you're not official?" Jacey's look was awed. "Word of advice? You _better make_ it official before I steal him from you!"

Neil and Devon walked in as the two girls were laughing. "Well, well. That sounds good." Neil's smile was huge, and he handed her his own bouquet of flowers. "I see someone else had the same idea." He admired the arrangement of lilies. "Who are they from?"

"Cane." Lily watched her father's reaction closely. Cane was right. He definitely had a problem with this. Jacey and Devon looked tense as well at Neil's immediate mood change.

"Cane?" Neil asked sharply.

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem with that?"

Neil regarded Lily steadily. "Look. You know how I feel about the two of you together. I told Cane the exact same thing last night. I don't appreciate him blatantly disregarding my feelings on this."

"OK. First, Cane said that he was the one that found me last night so I'd think you'd be grateful…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! When did you talk to Cane?" Neil demanded.

"When he called to see if I'd gotten the flowers," Lily lied smoothly. "Secondly, they're only flowers! They're only flowers that were sent to make me feel better," she continued. "And thirdly, I love you, and I care about what you think, but when it comes to who I date or don't date, _my_feelings are the ones that matter in the end."

"But, I'm your father, Lily. I want what's best for you. I should be able to voice my opinion when I feel strongly about something."

"Yes. And I am an adult in my own right. I should be able to decide if your opinion is one I agree with and to decide what I do with it."

Neil and Lily eyed the other without flinching, the tension between them hanging oppressively.

"Um. I'm gonna go. Lily, call if you need something." Jacey made a quick exit and Devon moved to do the same.

"It looks like you two got a lot to talk about. So, I'm going to go call Roxanne, go to breakfast or something. Lily, I'll see you later."

Left alone, Neil sat on the edge of his daughter's bed and took her hand. "Lily, I just don't want to see you hurt again. It hasn't been that long since your divorce from Daniel, and Cane is a lot older than you."

"I know all of that, Dad. But Cane would never hurt me." Lily said.

"He already did. You've been moping around for a week, and you're not even dating," Neil pointed out.

"I'm not ready to discuss this with you; we're never going to see eye to eye. All you need to know is that Cane was trying to do what he thought was best for me. _For me_, Dad; not him. And I was mad because I didn't want _him_ making that decision for me either."

"If Cane is saying the same thing I am, why are we arguing?"

"Because this isn't about Cane! This is about…ahhh!" Lily cut off when a sharp pain shot through her chest, and she worked to breathe.

"Lily? Lily, are you OK? Nurse!" Neil was moving toward the door but Lily stopped him.

"It's OK. It's just the chest tube." She again reached for the button for her pain medication, and in a few minutes the pain began to subside.

"You know what? We'll leave this discussion for a later time. This whole thing with Cane, I'll let it go _for right now_. We just need to concentrate on getting you better."

The fact that Neil put the emphasis on the phrase 'for right now' told Lily that there would be more talk to come, but she didn't have time to comment before his cell phone rang. The call was over in a few minutes, and whatever it had been about Neil didn't look happy.

"Honey, I'm sorry. That was Victor. Apparently he doesn't see the need to take the day _after_Christmas off."

Lily shrugged and was secretly relieved. "I guess you have to go into the office?"

"To the ranch." Neil buttoned up the coat he never took off when he came in. "You know how it is. When Victor calls…"

"You go running. I understand. It's fine." Lily smiled to show that she wasn't upset.

Neil kissed her cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about it. I don't need you to sit with me all day. Take your time."

It took all of five minutes after her father left for Lily to act on her decision. And only that long because she was trying to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. After all, she'd known from the minute she opened her eyes that she would.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

* * *

><p><em>Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.<em>

"Hello?"

He answered the phone on the fly, trying to finish one e-mail in a stack of twenty. He hated to be working the day after Christmas, but if he didn't he knew he would regret it on Monday.

"_Thank you for the lilies. They're beautiful."_

Lily's soft voice over the line sent all thoughts of work out of his mind, and Cane's eyes closed. "So are you," he said. He could hear her light laugh and it felt like an intimate caress in his ear.

"_You haven't seen me this morning. It was pretty horrible looking in the mirror."_

"I'm sure you're as beautiful as ever. You've been through quite the ordeal. Cut yourself some slack," Cane answered gently.

"_Thanks." _

There was a pregnant pause, and Cane waited to see if Lily had anything else to say. He felt his heart skip a beat at her next words.

"_Cane? We need to talk."_

"Sure. When?" He congratulated himself on how calm he sounded.

"_Now," s_he answered softly.

Cane grabbed his coat from the closet and was out the front door before he even put it on.

"I'm on my way."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 ~

"_Cane? We need to talk…Now."  
>What does she want to talk about?<br>Could she want to talk about what I said last night?  
>No, she wasn't awake. She didn't hear me.<em>

_**There's a stop sign.**_

_She couldn't hear me, right?_

_**Stop sign.**_

_What if she decided I was right the first time, and she had some…revelation? What if she only wants to be my friend?_

_**STOP SIGN!**_

Cane slammed on his brakes as he saw the traffic sign a moment too late and then skidded through the intersection of the snow packed street.

_**Will you pay attention? Are you **__**trying**__** to get us killed?**_

_Sorry. Just wondering what Lily wants to talk about. It's making me nervous._

_**Yeah. I see that. **_Mini-me Cane straightened his clothes and brushed at non-existent wrinkles in his shirt. _**What are you worried about? You know she's done being mad at you.**_

_I hope so. But what if she's not? What if she only wants to be friends?_

_**She doesn't.**_

_How do you know though?_

_**Because that's how this kind of thing works. If she was having doubts, this might confirm it because she realizes that life is too short to be with the wrong person. If she wasn't having doubts and was just being mad at your for being so hardheaded, this will make her realize life is too short to be mad at you and she'll be over it.**_

_That's my point. What if she was having doubts?_

_**She wasn't.**_

_How do you know?_

Mini-me Cane gave Cane a withering look. _**Was I the only one paying attention last week? She was upset with you for leading her on and has been angry every since. **_

_Yes! Maybe that's when she started to doubt._

_**OK. Listen to me. If she was having doubts I think she would've stopped being angry with you and just said "maybe you're right." She didn't do that, so I doubt she wants only friendship right now. **_

Cane appeared to be taking his short companion's words to heart then suddenly asked, _But what if she does?_

_**Does what? **_

_Only want friendship?_

_**Why do I even bother? **_Mini-me Cane muttered to himself.

In the time it took for this conversation to take place, Cane had reached the hospital and was walking into the building. On the outside he appeared calm, but inside his heart racing, the beat pounding in his ears. He found it hard to breathe, and his mouth was so dry, he couldn't even swallow.

Any thoughts from before had fled the minute he stepped into the corridor leading to Lily's room. Cane felt his feet must have been moving on their own, because he didn't think he was actually moving them by his own power. He reached her room, knocked briefly then peaked around the door jam.

Lily's head turned on the pillow toward him and she smiled. "Hi."

"Hey!" Cane smiled and stepped up to the bed. "How are you?" he asked, then immediately chuckled in self-deprecation. "I can't believe I asked you that. When I was in the hospital once I hated it when people asked me that. I always wanted to ask them how they thought I was."

Lily laughed. "I know I look like death warmed over, and I've definitely felt better. But I'm alive, so I guess I won't complain too much."

"You're still beautiful." Cane smiled at her again, then a slightly awkward silence hung between them. He pointed to the lilies that were front and center on the bedside table. "I'm glad they got here OK. It wasn't until after I sent them that I worried you wouldn't know who they were from."

Lily looked at him sweetly. "I knew right away. You are they only one that would sign the card '_Love, Me'_." She watched him fidget uncomfortably, obvious unsure what to say, and decided to rescue him.

"I want to thank you for saving my life."

Hearing that, Cane felt some relief as well as disappointment. That was the reason she wanted to see him, to thank him for finding her and brining her to the hospital.

"Your dad told you, huh?"

Lily shook her head. "No. You did." Cane's eyes lit with some recognition and she felt compassion for him. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I heard everything you said last night."

"I thought you were asleep," he replied simply.

"No. I was really sleepy but not so much that I didn't know that you were there and to understand everything you were saying."

Cane regarded her steadily. "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you answer me?"

"Because I was afraid that if I did, you'd stop talking. You'd stop sitting by me, and you'd go get my dad and the moment would be gone." Lily swallowed hard and fought the urge to look away. "And maybe because I was a little afraid now that I knew. I wasn't sure if I was as ready for a relationship with you as I thought I was."

She watched his face. He was trying not to push her or make her feel pressured, but she could tell he was dying to ask. She decided to let him.

"Do…do you…know how you feel now?" Cane held his breath.

"I want to see what we have too."

Cane's eyes slid closed, and his knees grew weak. It was a good thing the chair was near by. He wasn't at all sure he wouldn't have hit the floor. "Thank you, God!" he whispered.

"Were you worried?" Lily asked in an amused tone.

"Yes!" Cane exclaimed. "I was worried that I'd never get the chance to fix things. That I couldn't take back the lie I told you that day. I was afraid you'd have time to think it over and decide that I was right."

"Then you weren't paying very close attention." Lily teased.

_**Told you! **_Mini-me Cane couldn't resist a chance to gloat.

"I wasn't even that mad at you. Not enough to never forgive you anyway." Lily added. She smiled when Cane picked up her hand and held it too his lips for long moments, then moved her hand away from his lips to rest her palm against his cheek.

He leaned into it, his eyes never leaving hers. As close as they were, Lily wanted him closer and apparently Cane felt the same way. He suddenly moved to lower the bed railing, being careful of the tube coming out of her chest and then sat on the edge of the bed.

Resting the palm of one hand beside her on the mattress, he draped one of her arms across his lap as he stroked the inside of it with his other hand. "What about your dad? If you heard everything I said you must know he'll be against us." Cane didn't want to think about Neil, but he didn't have a choice.

"I know. We already argued about you this morning," Lily said. "But it doesn't matter. Dad can deal or not, I'd love it if he was supportive of us, but if he's not that's his problem. I can't worry about that."

Cane's eyes grew warm and he leaned forward slowly, his intent clear to Lily, stopping only to ask one last question. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up loving you." He repeated his words from the night before. "So I have to warn you. If you're even a little bit unsure that you can love me, you better get out now."

Lily smiled back, here eyes just as warm. "Oh no! You're not getting rid of me that easily!" She wrapped her hand in the front of his sweater and pulled him the rest of the way till their lips finally met in the kiss they had both longed for, no hesitancy between them, both feeling that it was the one thing that was right with today.

Mini-me Cane nodded in satisfaction. _**I told you that she loved you, didn't I? Aren't you glad I made you talk to her?**_

Cane didn't answer.

_**I mean, if it wasn't for me, you'd both still be miserable pining away to nothing for no reason…hello! I'm talking to you! Aahhhhh! **_

Mini-me Cane flew backward as his owner flicked him to the side and continued kissing Lily, but he still smiled.

_**Fine! I'm going!**_ He picked himself up and headed for the shadows. _**I think I'll take a nap. You wear me out! You hear me? I said, I'm going to take… ah! He ain't listening." **_The little sub-conscience chuckled.

And indeed Cane wasn't. With Lily in his arms nothing else mattered.

The End


End file.
